Means for forming roofing tile



- May 21, 1929. w, EKSTRAND v 1,713,754

MEANS FOR FORMING ROOFING TILE Filed Aug. 24, 1926 Patented May 21, 19239.

untrue m PATENT tll Flflhh ERNEST W. EKSTBAND, OF SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOE TO ALHAMBRA KILNS, INCK, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A COEPQEATION O}? GALEORNIA.

V MEANS FOE BOBBIE-1G EQDFING TILE.

Application filed August 24, 19%.

This invention relates to a means for forming roofing tile.

For many years roofing tile of the mission type have been formed manually by forming 5 the clay into a slab, which slab has been bent around the form, such as a tree trunk, or, as

the old California Indians i'naniiifactured the same, around the thigh. With increasing demand for these roofing tile, the old manual means have proven inadequate to supply the demand. Competition in the manufacture of these roofing tile has also become keen so that it has become necessary to provide crude methods and means for the manufacture thereof. In the manufacture of these mission tile, it is essential that the tile be formed to approximately semi-circular cross-section and that the same taper from the larger to the smaller end thereof substantially uniform and that the tile when formed are substantially uniform so as to enable the laying of the same on the roof. It is also important in the manufacture of these tile, that the handmade texture of the'exterior of thesame be maintained or very closely approximated so that thesame will have the appearance of the ancient handmade tile, suchas were employed upon the roofs of the old missions and haciendas as built by the Franciscans inthe latter half of the eighteenth century, in order that the same will find-a ready market in the reproduction of the building or structures of the Spanish or Franciscan architecture.

lhe invention embodied in the present ap plication is addressed to the provision of ap paratus wherein a thin ribbon of clay,first mixed to the proper consistency, is delivered to an'apparatus which automatically cuts the ribbon into desired lengths and these out slabs of clay are then delivered or positioned over saddles or molds of the desired curvature, which slabs or molds are then moved to a second means which cuts away the surplus clay along the edges of the saddles so that the slabs will exactly fit the same, all to be per formed without the employment of an undue amount of manual labor, and so performed as to retain upon the exterior of the roofing tile formed a texture which closely approximates that formed by the ancient processes.

@ther and more particular objects of this invention will be apparent from the following deecrigaian at a material ernhodi Serial No. 131165.

ment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus for carrying out the method embodying this invention, illustrating the clay mixing or conditioning means as partly broken away.

lfigure 2 is a side elevation thereof partly in vertical midsection.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of a slab trim ming means embodied in this invention.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of an extruding die embodied in this invention.

in the preferred embodiment of this inven tion, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, A illustrates a clay mixing and conditionin apparatus in which clay, after having been dug fromthe ground, is mixed with,

water to the proper consistency so as to be ex truded from a die or extruding means B in the form of a thin ribbon. The clay is preferably mixed in the conditioning means A to such a consistency that the same is not so hard that it will crack on bending but of such a consistency that the same will not split on themold. This consistency is found to be intermediate between that which is known in industry stiff and soft mud, or approximately twenty-five per cent water.

In accordance with the method embodying this invention, the thin ribbonof clay, on leaving the extruding means B, passes through a cutting means 0 by means of which the same is cut to the proper lengths to fit'saddles D on which the slabs of clay are slid.- The slabs of clay are picked up with the saddles or molds D and are delivered to a trimming means E by means of which the slabs are trimmed at the edges of the saddles so that the same accurately fit the saddles. 'llheslabs of clay are delivered from the means E on the saddles D to stands F, on which stands moisture is applied to their surface and the same are lightly kneaded with the hands to produce the proper exterior texture to approximate that produced in accordance with the ancient processes of molding the same over tree trunks or thighs.

The mining or conditioning means A may be of any desired or preferred construction, such as is commonly manufactured, and 'whichincludes a pair of auger-s 1 mounted within casing 2 and from which casing 2 th" clay properly mixed with the water b v at c isforce-cl late Y 3 into the extruding throat 4, to the advanced end of which an extruding die 5 of the extruding means B is secured. The die 5 has a rectangular opening 6 formed therein of the cross-section desired for the ribbon 7 which is extruded therethrough. The ribbon 7 leaves the die 5 and passes onto a plate 8 which is supported on a frame 9, which frame 9 is secured to uprights 10. The ribbon of clay 7, as the same passes onto the plate 8, passes over a lubricating well 11 in which a lubricating'roller 12 is mounted. The lubri cating well 11 is filled with a light lubricating oil which is transferredby means of the roller 12 to the undersurface 13 of the ribbon 7 so as to prevent adhesion of the ribbon 7 to the plate 8. The plate 8 is preferably formed of brass or a like material, polished so that the ribbon 7 will slide easily thereover.

Means are provided adjacent the die 5 for retaining and confining the ribbon 7 as the same is extruded through the die 5, which means are preferably of the following construction:

Releasably secured to the frame at the opposite sides thereof are a pair of arms 14, which arms 14 are secured at'their opposite ends to a hold-down retainingplate 15 which is pivotally positioned in position by means of the arms 14, which are pivotally secured to the frame 9 at 16 so that the plate 15 rests;

by gravity upon the ribbon 7 as the same passestherethrough. The sides of the arms 14 form side retaining bands which retain the sides ofthe ribbon 7 in position as the same passes under the gravity hold-down plate'15. I

, Ieans C are provided in advance of the hold-down plate 15 for cutting the ribbon 7 into slabs of thelengthofthe saddles D, which means are preferably ofthe following construction; i I Uprights 17 are secured to the opposite sides of the frame 9 and a shaft 18 is journaled in these uprights 17 at the upper ends thereof.

Mounted upon theshaft 18 andrigidly secured thereto is a ceramic roller 19 whichis mounted in position to ride upon the upper surface 20 of the ribbon 7. Secured to the shaft 18 at the opposite ends of the ceramic roller 19 are a pair of outwardly extending arms 21, whicharms 21 are provided at their outer ends with a cutting member 22," which cutting member '22 preferably constitutes a stifi' wire which is-strung between the arms 7 19 and isheld in tension by any suitable locking means, such as illustrated at 23.

The slabs of clay, passing under the ceramic roller 19, pass out-ward onto the end portion 24 of the brass band 8', upon which posit-ion the same are slid along the plate 8 V and over the, saddle D, which saddle D'lS mounted intermediate tapered side guides 25 so that its uppermost surface 26 is parallel or below the'surface of the plate 8.

After the cut slab is positioned over the saddle D, the saddle D is lifted from the groove formed between the side guides 25 and transferred to the trimming means E upon which the slab is slightly kneaded to make thesame accurately fit the saddle'D. The saddle D is preferably formed of any suitable or desirable material, such as cast aluminum, wood, or the like, and is hollow and is tapered from its larger end 27 to its smaller end 28. Mounted in the inside of the hollow member, of which the saddle D is formed, are guides 29, upon which the slabs clay has been kneaded to the contour of the I saddles D, the saddles D are drawn rearward by means of hand handles-35 so that their lower edges 34 pass overthe cutting element 32 so as to trim the'clayalong the edges 34 to make the same accurately fit the saddles D. V

' After the slabs of'clay have been positioned and formed tothe curvature of the saddles D and have been. trimmed, the saddles D withthe slabs thereon are moved to kneading stands F wherein water or moisture is supplied to their exterior surfaces 36 so as to fill the pores that may be formed therein and the exterior surfaces 36'are preferably kneaded with the hands so as to make. the surfaces 36 irregular so that the same will accurately correspond with the ancient textureproduc'ed upon the old mission tiles as used on the roofs of the early California missions and haciend'as.

Having fully described a preferred em bodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to'fthe exact details herein, set forth which may obviously be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended'claims.

Iclaimz, V.

1. In an apparatus for forming tile, the combination of means for mixing clay with water, a die secured to the said mixing means and through which the said clay is extruded as a ribbon,-a plate mounted adjacent the said die, means mounted above the said platefor cutting the saidribbon to form slabs of predetermined length, 'a saddle mounted belowthe surfaceofthe said plate and onto which the said slab is slid, the said saddle havingahandleby means of which the said slab and saddle are lifted, and trimming means over which the said saddle is drawn to trim the edges of the slabs so that the said slab fits the saddle.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of clay conditioning and mixing means for extruding the said clay in the form of a ribbon, cutting means mounted adjacent the said extruding means for cutting the said ribbon to form slabs of predetermined length, saddles onto which the said slabs are slid, and means for trimming the said slabs at the edges of the said saddles.

Signed at Los Angeles, Calif, this 14 day of August, 1926.

ERNEST W. EKSTRAND. 

